Thursday, August 17, 2006

Ok, no one has been able to solve the riddle of the mysterious demon. Consider yourselves losers. But at least I've learned that a few people actually read this thing. And the answer?

The artist is underground legend RICK GRIFFINand the album is STEPPENWOLF'S 'MONSTER' (1970)

The Mutilation Graphics demon was slightly modified from the back cover of this gatefold where it originally appeared on either side of Griffin's amazing dystopian cartoon chaos. I'll post another contest at some point in the future. Stay tuned...

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Patrick Rosenkranz's new book You Call This Art?!! is now available through Fantagraphics Books. You Call This Art?!! celebrates the life of Greg Irons, one of the greatest artists to emerge from the late 60's underground art movement. Greg Irons was a prodigiously talented and energetic artist who mastered many mediums including psychedelic posters (Chuck Berry, Jefferson Airplane, Big Brother, etc), record covers (Jerry Garcia, Blue Cheer, Jefferson Starship, etc.), underground comix (Slow Death, Legions of Charlies, Deviant Slice, etc.), children's books (Dungeons & Dragons, Last of the Dinosaurs, Pirates, etc.), and tattoo art before his life was cut tragically short in 1984. Rosenkranz's highly anticipated retrospective has been lovingly assembled with the full cooperation of Irons' surviving family and friends and features an AMAZING collection of work spanning Irons' entire career, including no less than 17 comix reproduced in their entirety. To celebrate this beautiful labor of love, Counter Media Bookstore, Portland's finest purveyors of perversion, has announced a very special book signing with author Patrick Rosenkranz featuring a rare display of original Greg Irons art! Greg Irons was a big influence on my own emerging style and astute Destroying Angels readers will recall the Irons article I asked Patrick Rosenkranz to write for issue #7. At my recent art opening Mr. Rosenkranz explained that the interest generated by that issue of Destroying Angels had a direct impact on the publication of his book. It is an honor to feel as though I have contributed in some very small way to the memory of this legend and his re-discovery by younger artists and fans of art around the world. Up the Irons, indeed!